A bear hug for Nigerian-Ghanaian bromance, By Simbo Olorunfemi & Ade Adefeko

“The 2 nations don’t share borders, nevertheless it has all the time felt like we did. That we’re separated by Togo and Benin has by no means  actually mattered – we really feel like we’re neighbours.” – Elizabeth Ohene

The connection between Nigeria and Ghana, which by most accounts, is a particular one, is a puzzle of kinds. It doesn’t make for a straightforward clarification, because the substances that ought to ordinarily make it what it’s should not fairly there on the face of it. The 2 nations should not direct neighbours, there are two different nations between them. Whereas there might need been interactions between a few of the folks and conventional establishments within the pre-colonial days, there isn’t a suggestion that bonds probably solid then may have served as propellers for the post-colonial relationship between the 2 nations.

Colonialism had, nevertheless, introduced the 2 nations collectively below the British imperial umbrella, with the 2 nations sharing institutional and cooperative relations and inheriting the identical colonial heritage. They have been each members of the West African Foreign money Board, West African Airways, and West African Line, amongst different issues, which helped to determine a relationship between the 2 nations, post-independence.

Certainly, it’s the relationship shaped by the first-generation political leaders in each nations of their quest for independence from the grip of British colonialists that may, in a manner, clarify what has, over time, advanced to the purpose the place Nigerians and Ghanaians started to fondly see themselves as Cousins, or Brothers, within the African sense of it. That relationship began with Nigeria’s first President, Nnamdi Azikiwe, who upon completion of his levels in the US of America, elected to first settle in Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1934, the place he based a nationalist newspaper, and in addition mentored nationalists like Kwame Nkrumah, who quickly adopted Zik’s path by additionally going to the US, returning to the nation in 1947, to guide the nationalist motion, later changing into the primary president of Ghana on attainment of independence in 1957.

Within the years following independence, the connection between the nations strengthened, even when within the instant years, cracks had begun to seem over inside energy battle in Nigeria, however among the many folks, there was a noticeable enhance in casual interactions which noticed extra Nigerians travelling to Ghana than was the reverse. The variety of Ghanaians in Nigeria as of 1963 was estimated at 7,561, whereas the Nigerian inhabitants in Ghana was estimated at 209,120. Inside a number of years, the connection suffered its first rupture, with Nigerians compelled to go away Ghana on the again of the “Aliens Compliance Order of November 1969”, which ordered all undocumented aliens to go away the nation. Nigeria paid again in type in 1983 when the federal government introduced the expulsion of all undocumented aliens, which led to the notorious ‘Ghana should go’.Whereas there have been different incidents of frayed nerves within the relationship between Nigerians and Ghanaians over time, it’s protected to say that each governments and other people of each nations have discovered a method to strengthen the connection to a spot of lodging and cooperation throughout completely different areas.

What stands out is the similarity in style and pursuits between Nigerians and Ghanaians throughout completely different spheres, from training to sports activities, music, trend and delicacies, which generally will get misrepresented as unhealthy and unproductive rivalry between a few of the residents of the 2 nations. Moderately than it being a trigger for such, there may be one other method to see it as extra of an interwoven historical past and brotherly bond that has seen to a fusion in Afrobeats and highlife, birthing collaboration between Nigerian and Ghanaian musicians, with artists from one nation attaining fame and having fun with sizeable following within the different nation. Even the Jollof rivalry that by no means appears to go away speaks extra to a shared love for comparable sorts of dishes than the rest which, in accordance with Isaac Asabor, illustrates “a shared culinary historical past that goes again generations, symbolizing the fusion of tastes throughout West African communities.”

The connection between the 2 nations stands out in numerous ways in which make it a mannequin for others throughout the African continent. They’ve stood collectively on completely different platforms, together with that of the Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS), ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), the African Union, and so forth. It’s good to see that fairly quite a few Nigerian firms, particularly banks, have made a powerful impression on the enterprise panorama in Ghana, whereas many Nigerians proceed to discover instructional and funding alternatives in Ghana.

Past the robust inter-governmental relations and formal enterprise interplay throughout borders, interpersonal relations between residents of each nations have tremendously helped in strengthening the connection. There are circumstances of intermarriage amongst outstanding Nigerians and Ghanaians. There are additionally folks just like the Nigerian Journalist and Politician, Dele Momodu, who for nearly 30 years has lived throughout each nations, serving extra as an honorary Ambassador for Nigeria in Ghana and that of Ghana in Nigeria, simply as one of many Authors of this piece does for Botswana in Lagos.

Whichever manner we tweak it, diplomacy is mainly in regards to the folks. The place relationships can develop or evolve organically, as is the case with Nigeria and Ghana, the alternatives are certainly immense. That the newly elected President of Ghana, John Mahama, has a long-standing relationship with Nigeria, having lived within the nation in his youthful days, speaks to a renewed alternative to deepen the connection between the 2 nations. The indication that he sees it that manner is there to be seen within the honour accorded to the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, in having him because the Particular Visitor of Honour at his inauguration ceremony. On the occasion, President Tinubu mentioned that President John Mahama’s election (for a second time) ought to “mark a brand new and invigorated momentum in pursuing subregional integration and progress”. There may be a lot work to be executed by Nigeria and Ghana within the pursuit of integration on the sub-region as a pedestal for the financial integration of the African continent. Step one begins with a strengthening of the bromance between Nigeria and Ghana.

Simbo Olorunfemi is a specialist on Nigeria’s international coverage and managing editor of Africa Enterprise, whereas Ade Adefeko is director, Company and Regulatory Affairs Olam Agri; chairman, Industrial Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Trade (LCCI); and Honorary Consul of Botswana in Lagos.